Deception led to love
by Striving 4 independence
Summary: He was asked a favor by his best friend and he accepted. Fate, however, had different plans about him. He slowly found himself falling in love with the woman the prince was supposed to marry. What he didn't expect though, was that the prince and he would become rivals for her attention and affection.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **I don't own -man. It belongs to Katsura Hoshino

**Author's notes:** I decided to write a -man fanfic with my favourite couple. Hope you like it.

* * *

**Chapter 1  
****Unwanted arranged marriage**

_Amalthea kingdom…_

Klaud Nine, princess of the Amalthea kingdom, stirred from her slumber when she heard someone calling her. She slowly opened her eyes to reveal her purple orbs adorned with long eyelashes. Her lady-in-waiting, Miranda Lotto, smiled warmly at her and she couldn't help but smile back.

"Good morning, princess." Miranda said.

"Good morning to you as well Miranda. And what did I tell you about calling me Klaud and not princess?" Klaud asked as she placed her hands on her hips and looked at her with a stern look.

Instantly, Miranda's eyes widened and she started bowing frantically.

"Aieeee! I'M SORRY!" was what she said in her state of panic.

Klaud's eyes softened when she saw her flailing her arms frantically and constantly apologizing. She knew that what Miranda went through, was the reason why she became like this. Sometimes, she heard people commenting on how unlucky she was for having Miranda as her lady-in-waiting and how they became friends in the first place. The beautiful and elegant princess becoming friends with the clumsy and plain-looking woman known as Miranda, was something that most people couldn't comprehend. Klaud, however, had a different opinion about her. To her, Miranda was a kind-hearted woman who was far from plain. She possessed inner beauty and strength that other women didn't. She willingly became her friend, not because of her royal status, but because of the person she was underneath.

"You don't need to apologize. I just said that because we're friends" Klaud said as she hugged her.

Miranda's eyes brimmed with tears, but she held them back and hugged Klaud back. How she longed for somebody to call her a friend and thank her for being useful. To her, Klaud was an irreplaceable friend, who still took her as her lady-in-waiting despite the mistakes she did. Klaud accepted becoming her friend, even though her status was different from hers.

They pulled apart from each other, when they heard Lau Shimin, Klaud's monkey, snoring slightly. Both the girls giggled at this.

"Shall I prepare the bath for you?" Miranda asked.

"If you don't mind preparing it for me"

"Not at all" beamed Miranda.

Klaud waited for Miranda to prepare the bath and once Miranda came out she went in. She took off her nightgown, submerged in the bathtub and sighed. As the water helped her relax, yesterday's event flooded her mind.

_Flashback_

_Klaud entered the assembly hall and saw her father discussing something with his advisor. Once her father saw her, he signaled the advisor to leave them alone._

_"Daughter, you're here" the king said._

_"Yes, father. Is there something that you wanted to tell me?"_

_The king cleared his throat. "You're going to be engaged to the prince of the neighboring kingdom"_

_Klaud's eyes immediately widened. She couldn't believe her own ears. Her beloved father telling her that she is to be engaged to someone she didn't even know._

_"W-What?" she said astounded._

_"You're 21 already and you still haven't got married. I want to have grandchildren soon. I'm not getting any younger. My decision has already been made. You're going to meet him in one week and stay there for two months in order to get to know each other. Understood? So, you better start packing now."_

_Klaud still in state of shock could only nod her head as she left the room._

_End of flashback_

Klaud sighed once more as she got up from the bathtub, dried her golden locks and wrapped herself in a towel. After taking a bath, she felt rejuvenated. She came out of the bathroom and saw that Lau Shimin was already awake.

Lau Shimin looked at her with a questioning look as if he was asking her if she was fine after yesterday's event.

"I'm better now, Lau Shimin. Thanks for worrying about me." She replied to his unasked question. The white monkey only swung his tail in acknowledgement.

She walked to her closet, chose a dress and asked Miranda to help her dress.

* * *

"Am I explicit?" said an authoritative voice.

_Flashback_

_Ichirou was in the middle of training with his best friend and general of his father's army, Cross, when he was suddenly interrupted by a servant. The servant bowed at them._

"_Prince, your father has requested your presence"_

_At first Ichirou didn't know what to say, because he didn't do anything to upset his father. Then, he started getting worried. What if something happened to his father? Many 'what ifs' were running through his head. _

_Cross saw that the prince couldn't utter a word and sighed in exasperation, so he asked on his behalf._

"_Has his majesty told you why?"_

"_I'm afraid not. His majesty asked me to bring the prince to the assembly hall. That's all"_

_The servant waited for the prince's answer._

"_Let's go, then."_

"_I'll catch up to you later." Ichirou said to Cross, who just nodded his head. After all, he had somewhere else to be._

_The servant led the prince through many corridors until they finally reached the assembly hall. The servant bowed at the king._

"_I have brought the prince here, as you have requested your majesty." _

"_Very well, you're dismissed."_

_The servant bowed once more and left._

"_My son, I asked you to come here, because I have something to tell you."_

"_What is it, father?"_

"_You are of marriageable age now. So, I have decided that you will get engaged to the princess of the neighboring kingdom."_

"_But father, I don't know this so called princess. What if I don't like her and she doesn't like me?" protested the prince._

"_That's why, I invited her here. She will come here in a week and she will stay here for two months."_

_The prince opened his mouth to protest once again, but he was interrupted._

_End of flashback _

"Yes, father" Ichirou Kaoru, the prince of the Aureliun kingdom, replied.

"Then you're dismissed."

The prince bowed and left the assembly hall. He walked to his room, plopped down on his bed and sighed. The 21-year-old prince closed his eyes and placed his left hand over his closed eyes.

He was trying to find a way out of this unwanted arranged marriage. Suddenly, as if by enlightenment, an idea came to him. A plan soon formulated in his head. He stood up quickly and left his room. If everything goes according to plan, he won't need to marry the princess. He smirked. Now, he needed to find Cross.

* * *

**Author's notes: **What do you think so far? I had this idea in my head for quite a long time, but I couldn't seem to find the time to write it. It would be my first multi-chapter story as well. Constructive criticism is allowed.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **I don't own D. Gray-man.

**Author's notes:** I'm sorry for the previous chapter, because it was kind of short. I'll try to make them , here's chapter 2.

* * *

**Chapter 2 **

"Thank you," said Klaud to Miranda for helping her get dressed.

"You're welcome," replied happily Miranda.

Klaud turned to Lau Shimin. "How do I look, Lau?"

Said monkey, turned and saw the simple light blue dress she was wearing. Even though it was quite simple, it accentuated her curves perfectly.

"Kiki," he answered as if to appraise her. Klaud smiled at him.

"Well, that's all thanks to Miranda's hard work. Right, Lau?"

It took a little time for Miranda to process Klaud's words, but once they sank in, she blushed. With her cheeks still red she said "T-That's not true at all. It's because you're the one wearing it. You're naturally beautiful. If I were to wear it, it would look ugly on me," she ended in a sad voice.

"Miranda! Please, don't ever say that again. You're beautiful as well. Don't let other people demean you. You may not see what you possess, but I can. And I can assure you, it is far from what you think of yourself."

"Kiki!" added in Lau Shimin while jumping up and down on the bed in order to prove his point.

Miranda thinking that she had made both of them angry, bowed. "I'M SORRY!"

Klaud sighed, but nonetheless smiled at her. "I guess that habit of yours will never change."

"I'm sorry," she said while giving her an apologetic look.

"Anyway, let's go downstairs and have breakfast."

At the mention of breakfast, Lau Shimin quickly stood up from the bed and jumped on Klaud's shoulder.

"I can see that somebody is eager to eat," said Klaud while smirking at him. If monkeys could blush, he would have been red on the face by now. He just huffed indignantly and turned away his head.

The girls couldn't take it any longer and burst out laughing. Suddenly the girls' stomach growled and they stopped laughing. This time, Lau Shimin looked at them, his eyebrow raised, as if to ask _'Who's hungry now?' _Both girls blushed hard.

"Anyway, let's go. I'm sure father is down by now." Klaud said in order to avoid looking at his slightly smirking face.** (A/N: You could say she knows him very well in order to be able to tell apart his expressions :P). **Miranda nodded as well for she was still embarrassed about it.

All of them exited the room and started heading for the dining room. Miranda, however, headed the opposite direction.

* * *

"_Now, all I have to do is find Cross. That's easier said than done. The castle is freakin' huge. Besides, what if he's not here?" _thought the young prince while walking down numerous corridors.

"_Seriously, what keeps him away all the time? Oh yeah, I know! It's because he's a conniving flirt and enjoys the company of __**beautiful **__women!__The first time I met him, had left quite a scar on me."_

_Flashback, Ichirou's POV_

_"Ichirou, I need you to go and find General Cross. **IF **you manage to find him, tell him that he is in charge of your training. Understood?"_

_At that time, I didn't understand what he meant by 'if'. So being the foolish one, I agreed. I never expected that I would regret it afterwards._

_"Yes, father. Could you tell me how he looks like?"_

_"He's tall with long red hair."_

_"I see. It will be a piece of cake." His appearance was a dead giveaway._

_"We will see if you will continue thinking this way when you find him."_

_The next day…_

_The next day, I set out to find him while still pondering over my father's words._

_After two days, I finally found him in an inn. He was chugging down wine, with one woman at each side of his._

_"General Cross, I need to talk to you," I said. What I didn't expect however, was that he would push me out of the way in order to escape. I quickly pushed myself up. Ignoring the people's angry remarks, I chased after him._

_"Hey wait, I just need to talk to you," but it was no use. He continued running as if he had never heard me. Then, I lost sight of him. That's what father meant when he said if I could find him._

_Two weeks later, I was ready to give up when I finally found him. I was passing by a house, when I heard some strange noises. Thinking that somebody was in danger, I barged in the house without giving it much thought. What I saw left me completely scarred. I saw him naked and on top of a woman, who was naked as well. The woman quickly got up and went to the bathroom. He quickly put his clothes on and went outside. I followed soon after, still not able to speak. Once we were outside, he snapped at me._

_"What do you want, brat?" he asked impatiently while glaring at me as if I was wasting his precious time. "Hey! It was not my fault that father asked you to do this. If I knew, I wouldn't have gone all the way to find you". That's what I wanted to say, but seeing him so angry, I decided to keep my mouth shut. Instead, I quickly got straight to the point._

_"The king said that from now on you are in charge of my training."_

_He seemed quite shocked. "Ha! Take that!" I thought. He quickly regained his composure and nodded. He entered the house again and exchanged a few words with her. She pointed a finger at me and gave me an accusing look. "Don't look and point at me like that, lady. It's rude. I would hardly call you a lady though. It's not my fault that father wanted me to be trained by the best," was what I wanted to say to her._

_I quickly averted my gaze as she kissed him goodbye. After that I vowed to always get full details on someone before I go to look for them._

_End of flashback_

"_Not only he's a womanizer, he has drinking problems, smoking habits and a __**very short**__ temper. Aside from all of that, he can be a good friend. I guess. _

Ichirou reached the training field and saw some knights training. "Have you seen General Cross?"

"I'm afraid not, your highness. I haven't seen him since you went to speak to the king. In fact, I doubt he will return tonight," replied Allen, one of the knights.

"Dammit! Wait a minute, how do you know he will not come early?"

Allen smiled wryly at the prince. "I just know it. And I think you know him just as well as I do your highness."

The prince sighed, knowing what he meant by that. "Fine then, inform me when he returns."

"Of course," replied the knights while bowing at him.

The prince turned the way he came from and left the training field. _"It's no use_ _looking for him anyway. What to do now?"_

* * *

They ate in silence. The clanking sound of their forks was the only sound they ever made. The king turned his gaze towards his only daughter. She was eating with a neutral expression on her face. The king couldn't help the sigh that came out from his lips. His daughter was probably angry at him.

Klaud noticed her father's distraught gaze and asked worriedly "Is something wrong, father?"

"Nothing's wrong, daughter."

"Um, about yesterday -" she started.

The king cleared his throat. "I'm sorry about it. I didn't want to upset you. The thought of having grandchildren thrilled me and I didn't pay attention to your feelings. That's why, I decided that you will go there and befriend him. If you don't like him, then you can come back after two months pass and you won't need to marry him."

Klaud's jaw would have dropped, had she not been taught proper etiquette. "Really, father?" she asked still astounded.

"Of course. I don't want my only daughter to be unhappy. Besides, your mother would have killed me, if I forced you to marry someone you don't love. You know how much she loved you. I'm sure she's watching over us right now."

Klaud quickly got up from her seat and hugged him, throwing him over his seat as well. "Thank you, father!" she said as she kissed him on the cheek.

The king just chuckled. "So now, this old man is worthy of your kisses? Anyway, you should go out for a walk before the week comes to an end."

"Ok. Let's go, Lau" she replied happily.

Lau Shimin quickly swallowed the last bits of his food and followed her. The king smiled once again. Seeing her so happy, made him happy too.

* * *

The young prince was panting hard. He was in a clearing, training by himself for quite a long time. He decided that it was enough for today and sat down near the lake. He splashed some water to his face in order to cool himself. He looked at his reflection. Blue eyes stared back at him and water dripped from his chin. His short tousled blond hair looked as it was windswept. He lay on the soft and green grass and allowed himself to relax.

* * *

Klaud quickly strode past the corridors and headed straight to the kitchen, where Miranda was, eating with the other maids. The maids were talking among themselves.

"I heard the princess is getting married to the prince of Aureliun," said a maid.

"Yeah, and I heard that he's very handsome."

"Lucky! I want to meet him as well."

"I bet she's so happy getting married to somebody as handsome as him. Not to mention that both of them are of royal bloodline."

"~ It is going to be a royal wedding ~ Isn't it wonderful?"

"I-I don't think the princess wants to marry him," Miranda said.

All the maids turned their heads and looked at her as if she had grown another head.

"How do you know that?" finally one of them asked.

Another maid snorted. "Of course she knows. Miranda has always been her **favorite**."

"T-That's not true at all," replied Miranda.

The rest of the girls glared at her. "Seriously, I don't know what she sees in you. You're a klutz and misfortune seems to be on your trail. I don't know what you did to earn her favor, but I don't like you. If she doesn't see that, then her eyesight must have a problem."

Tears brimmed at the corner of Miranda's eyes, but she held them back and instead said to them in a firm voice "I don't care how much you insult me, but I can't tolerate someone who insults the princess. Her majesty was very kind to me and I'm sure she had been kind to you as well," all the maids lowered their gazes ashamed of badmouthing their princess. Well, almost everyone. Leonora still didn't feel any remorse for what she said.

"I don't care how kind she had been to you or anyone else for that matter. The only thing I know is that you should have been fired years ago, because you are completely useless. If I were her, I would have fired you without a second thought," she said spitefully.

"Good thing you're not me then," came a calm voice.

Everybody turned around shocked. They saw the princess leaning against the wall as if nothing unfolded before her eyes. Her visible eye, however, told another story. It seemed that she was trying her hardest to stay calm. Her purple orb that usually reflected warmth, was now reflecting coldness. Lau Shimin was on her left shoulder, as always. They recovered from their shock and bowed at her.

"How long had you been standing there?" asked Leonora, although the answer was obvious.

"Long enough," came her simple reply.

Leonora gritted her teeth. "Isn't it rude to eavesdrop on other people's conversation?"

"Isn't it rude to talk about other people behind their backs?" Klaud countered.

This time, Leonora was smart enough to keep her mouth shut. Lau Shimin snickered. She glared at him and he just flipped her off.

"Is there something that you need, your majesty?" asked one of the maids.

"I just wanted to talk to Miranda. Let's go, Miranda."

"As you wish, your highness."

Klaud turned and left the kitchen. Miranda soon followed after her. However, they didn't notice the little present Lau Shimin left behind as the rest of the maids resumed their duties.

* * *

Leonora quickly stormed out of the kitchen. _"Who does she think she is, humiliating me like this? Just because she is the princess, it doesn't mean she can talk to me like that. And she prefers that useless Miranda over me. I had been training my whole life, only to lose my rightful position to that bitch! Someday, I'll get my revenge on both of them. What to do with her monkey though? From the moment she made herself known, he couldn't stop mocking me. No matter. I don't think it would be worth my time to get my revenge on him."_

Leonora was so angry that she didn't notice where she was walking. That's why she slipped and fell on her butt. Hard. She rubbed her sore spot for it was throbbing painfully. Some servants that were passing by saw her and snickered at her for being inadvertent. Her cheeks heated up and she glared at them. She was ready to get up, when she noticed something yellow on the ground. Frowning, she picked it up and inspected it. It was… a banana peel. She scowled.

"_He is definitely on my __**'Most hated animals' **__list," _she thought as she threw away the banana peel. _"If it is war what he wants, then war it is what he shall get."_

* * *

**Author's notes: **Whew. This is the end of chapter 2. I apologize in advance for any grammatical errors. English is my second language. I'm also sorry for little-to-nothing Cross appearances. Anyway, I have to write chapter 3. Please bear with me a little longer.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's notes: **I'm back again guys! I apologize for the late update, but I have started working full-time at my uncle's restaurant and didn't have time to update (he's a tyrant when it comes to work). Now I'm back though and intend to continue my story. I didn't expect anyone to review this fanfic of mine, but thank you all for your encouragement. I will not let you down (I hope).

**Disclaimer: **I don't own D. Gray-man.

* * *

**Chapter 3  
**  
Silence was unnerving, especially in an awkward situation such as this. The sound of their footsteps echoing in the empty corridor was the only sign that someone was there. Miranda followed Klaud silently and dutifully as she led the way. She knew the princess well enough to understand that she was angry. Why though? Why would anyone become angry because of what they said to her? She was fairly used to this kind of treatment. After all, she came to believe that she, herself, was useless. She was ready to voice out her question, but their walk came to a halt and they stopped at Klaud's room.

"We're here" was the only thing she said and ushered Miranda inside. Miranda started panicking because the princess brought her here for a talk. What if the princess fires her? Tears brimmed at the corner of her eyes. She needed to apologize quickly.

"I'm sorry" said a very nervous-looking Miranda.

"What for?" asked Klaud with a confused expression.

"I spoke out of line, but I felt the need to defend you, your highness. I know that is not my place to-"

"That's enough, Miranda. There's no need to apologize for what you did. You did what you felt was right and that was very brave of you. I'm proud of you, Miranda." She smiled gently at her.

Everything became silent once again. Miranda, still in shock, processed Klaud's words, and once they registered in her brain, she blushed profusely. _"She's different from anyone I've met and worked for before. She's kind and patient with everyone. She even chose __**me**__ as her lady-in-waiting."_

Still blushing, she managed to return her friend's rare smile. Being her lady-in-waiting sure had its advantages. Miranda knew that aside from her father, she's the only one who has seen Klaud smile. She didn't mean to brag but her smile itself was a sight to behold for she rarely smiles. Her smiles, during social gatherings, lack the usual warmth. She just smiles for appearance's sake because she knows that these noblewomen are eager to find something negative to comment on about her in order to stain her good reputation. Whereas, right now, she's smiling at her with her guard completely down. That's why, Miranda is so happy to serve her.

Suddenly, Klaud frowned. "Although, I'm supposed to be a little angry at you for demeaning yourself while you were defending me"

"I'm sorry" came her automatic reply.

She just sighed while Lau Shimin snickered as if finding the whole situation amusing. "Let's just go to the town"

"Yes."

* * *

Cross sighed. He was supposed to return to the Aureliun kingdom by now. That annoying prince was going to kill him by demanding more training because he was absent for a whole week. It's not that he didn't like the prince or something along the lines of that. They were friends somehow, for reasons unknown to the both of them. It's the training he despises._ "I guess being the best general has its drawbacks."_ He feels like he's wasting too much precious time training whereas he could do something more exciting that involved him, a woman and a bed. Speaking of which, last night was blast. He had forgotten that woman's name but he knew she was good at what she was doing.

"_I've decided. I will go to that town" _he thought as he entered a town._ Besides, what's a day or two going to do to me anyway? I still have to train the prince once I return." _The town he's just entered looked very prosperous because it belongs to the Amalthea kingdom. The king was taking a really good care of his people. Anyways, he didn't come here to admire the king. He came here for another reason. Yep, you guessed right. He came here for… _**hunting**_.

He was aware of the looks some of the women were giving him. They were captivated by his looks and their eyes reflected the lust they felt. He smirked. It couldn't be helped that he was **that **handsome **(A/N: someone needs to kick him off his high horse)**. He passed by them and they sighed. Of course being a ladies' man, he didn't let the opportunity slip. He stopped in front of a brunette-haired woman, took her hand, brought it to his lips and kissed it. She instantly blushed.

"You are a sight to behold, my lady" he said in a suave tone that caused her blush to intensify.

* * *

Klaud sighed in contentment. It was so nice going out to the town. She felt confined within the castle walls and under everyone's watchful eye. Here, she could do anything she wanted.

"If I may your highness, what are we doing here?"

"I wanted to go out for a walk. I'm sure that you know that we're leaving in one week. Once we leave, we're going to stay there for two months. That's why I want to see the town before that."

"I see. Then, let's go to the market as well!" Miranda said excitedly and she just nodded her head.

"One more thing" she said in a somber tone.

"Yes, your highness?"

"While we're here, you can call me by my name you know." Her words were followed by a small pout.

"Um, I don't kno-". She was cut off by Klaud's probing stare. She gulped.

"As you wish your high-, I mean Klaud" she replied nervously.

"Great! Let's go now" she said as she dragged Miranda with her hand.

They finally reached the market. It was bustling with people. Stalls were everywhere, each selling different things. The people here looked happy and they loved their king. It made Klaud happy to see her beloved people like this.

Klaud was looking at the stall that was selling handmade jewelry. She wasn't interested in those expensive jewelries as she had a lot of them. She was ready to walk away but something managed to catch her eye; two pendants made out of silver. They were quite simple and that's why she loved them. The pendants were shaped like a half heart and once they connected they became a complete heart that said _"Best friends" _on it. One was carved with a sun on it and the other was carved with a moon on it. She instantly thought of Miranda and her. Although they were completely different in personality, that didn't stop them from becoming friends. Miranda's bright and kind personality went well with her seemingly cold and indifferent one. That's why Miranda reminded her so much of the sun.

"Is there anything that you like, young lady?" the stall owner asked.

"I would like these two" she replied, pointing at the two pendants.

"That would be 1000 gald, please."

Klaud handed a small pouch to him and took the pendants. "Keep the change."

"So, what did you buy?"

Klaud showed her the two pendants and gave Miranda the one with the sun carved on it.

"E-eh, but I didn't ask for anything."

"It's yours. I have my own pendant as well. I consider you my best friend and I would be honored if you were to accept my gift, however simple it is."

Miranda was moved by Klaud's words. "No, Klaud, I am the one who should feel honored seeing that you consider me as your best friend. I shall accept your gift."

They put on their respective pendants and clasped each other's hands. "Best friends forever" they said in unison. Lau Shimin whined in order to remind them that he was still there. They giggled at the white monkey's antics.

"I guess it's almost time to go home, right Miranda?"

"Yes. Eeep! I almost forgot! I need to attend to some matters. You should go ahead of me your highness. I will eventually catch up to you."

"No worries. I will go for a short walk as well. Once you finish, come here and we will go home together."

"I'll be back quickly, then."

* * *

"_I guess I could roam a bit more." _She resumed her walk while Lau Shimin was faithfully perched on her shoulder.

She liked what she was seeing so far. As she meandered once again through the crowd, she came across a happy family. A little girl was holding onto both her parents' hands, smiling joyfully. Seeing them so happy, she couldn't help but remember her own childhood. Her mother was beautiful. Long golden hair, eyes the color of dawn and pale skin. Her father said that she took after her mother, just a younger version of her. Her mother used to bring her to the town as well. Those were the happiest days of her life. As she was reminiscing, she didn't notice where she was going and that resulted in her bumping into someone.

"I'm sor-" was what Klaud wanted to say before she was rudely interrupted

"Watch where you're going, don't you have eyes to see?" somebody snarled.

"I already said I'm sorry!" came her indignant reply while she lifted her chin to glare at the stranger. He was weird from what she could see. He had long, red vibrant hair, was annoying tall, that she had to look up at him, and a half moon mask on the right side of his face. He seemed shocked.

* * *

Cross was in a bad mood. He was talking to that brunette when, suddenly, her husband appeared. Her husband accused her of cheating on him, but she defended herself by saying that **he **was the one who tried to hit on her, not the other way around. Of course, being a love-struck fool, he instantly believed her. Cross had to run for it.

"_The nerve of that bitch! How dare she accuse me of trying to hit on her? Well, I did, but who was the one who encouraged me? And that fool fell instantly into her trap! These two complete each other; the love-struck fool and the manipulative bitch. If I ever-" _still absorbed in his angry train of thoughts, he didn't pay attention to where he was going until he bumped into a soft body.

"I'm sor-"

Seeing that he was rudely interrupted from his thoughts and that he was already in a bad mood, he snarled at the poor stranger "Watch where you're going, don't you have eyes to see?"

"I already said I'm sorry!" replied indignantly a woman. Wait a moment… a woman? Oh shit. He was royally screwed. He needed to make amends and soon. Otherwise his reputation would be destroyed. _"We can't have that, can we?" _

He looked down at her, ready to apologize, and was initially shocked. No, not because she was ugly. On the contrary, she was very beautiful. However, she was glaring at him right now, **him **of all people! No woman has ever done that! They always sigh and giggle whenever he smirks at them. And if they ever got angry, he would help them forget their anger. This woman, however, was a different case. She was still glaring at him. Perhaps, she's angry because he snarled at her. That must be it. No matter. He will change that expression of hers in a matter of seconds. They will start talking to each other and hopefully do something more afterwards. She was a beauty after all and he needed to have her as soon as possible.

"Please forgive my insolent behavior, my lady. I didn't mean to yell at you" he smiled at her in what looked like a charming way. He was right; her expression **did **change but not to one he was expecting. She rolled her eyes and then scowled at him. Yup, he didn't expect that, at all.

"Cut with the crap. Your sweet talking doesn't work on me" she replied.

For the first time in his life, Cross felt as if he had been slapped in the face. Never before has any woman resisted his charms. That was a first. To say he was shocked was an understatement. It didn't help that the white monkey, that was perched on her right shoulder, was sniggering at him. It was another blow to his already bruised ego.

"…"

"Well?"

"Perhaps, if I were to treat you to dinner, would that suffice as an apology?" he asked suggestively.

"That is your way of saying sorry? Have you ever apologized to someone properly? If not, then you must be out of your mind to actually believe that I would accept this poor excuse of an apology. I'm leaving." To further prove her point, she turned around and left.

"_What did just happen?" _he thought as he watched her retreating figure fade into the distance. His day was turning from bad to worse.

* * *

Klaud was fuming, no, she was **seething** with anger. How dare that man snarl at her and then casually ask her for her forgiveness? It was as if he never yelled at her in the first place. He thought that he would get away with it with his sweet talking and inviting her over for dinner. The nerve of that guy! He may have persuaded other women with this method, but not her! She took pride in herself for being different from those women. _"I hate hopeless men. Hopefully, we won't meet again." _Without noticing, she reached the meeting spot but Miranda still wasn't there. Her brow furrowed. _"Miranda sure is late. Could she have gone ahead of me because I was late and she didn't find me? Or did something happen to her?" _

Klaud shook her head, hoping that nothing happened to her dear friend. She was ready to look for her but, as if sensing her thoughts, Miranda appeared. She was blushing profusely for some reason.

"So… what happened?"

* * *

I finally finished chapter 3. Yay! I wonder though, have I gone a bit rusty from my long absence? Anyways, thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed it so far.


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